UNILAG Shut Down Indefinitely Over Students’ Protest
University of Lagos (UNILAG) has been shut indefinitely by the management. The decision was contained in a circular issued Friday morning in response to Thursday’s protest by students. The authorities ordered students to vacate their hostels before 10am.
Following the closure, there is tension on the campus at the time of this report as Students’ Union Government (SUG) leaders asked students to stay back on campus on the excuse that students could not afford pay for commercial buses due to current fuel scarcity.
The Nation learnt that the SUG’s directive was followed by the arrest of the union President, Mohammed Olaniyan, and the Public Relations Officer, Jumai Fagbui. They were whisked away by riot policemen invited by the management to ensure students comply with the school directive.
The Union’s Speaker, Adeyanju Olaonipekun, confirmed the arrest of the SUG leaders.
The management’s circular titled: Immediate Closure of University of Lagos, reads in part: “The Senate of the University of Lagos at an emergency meeting held on Thursday, April 7, 2016, considered the situation on campus occasioned by the ongoing agitation of the students’ body over poor electricity and water supply in the community, and the difficulty faced by large number of students living off campus to attend classes as a result of fuel crisis.
“Senate noted that the problem of poor municipal services is a national issue that the governments at both state and federal level are addressing. In order to forestall breakdown of law and order on campus, all academic activities on campus are hereby suspended with immediate effect.”
The statement added that no student should remain in the halls of residence after 10am today.”
Already, students have started leaving the campus amid protest by adamant students in the hostels. Police vehicles are moving round the campus to put the situation under control.
